Hospital bosses have been criticised by health experts.

Dr Bill Cunliffe and Dr Peter Williams were asked to attend the inquest into the deaths of Amanda Coulthard, from Penrith and Michael Parke, from Cockermouth as independent experts.

Both Dr Cunliffe and Dr Williams said that the North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, which managed the Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital, had failed in a number of key areas.

During proceedings, coroner David Roberts was told that both Mrs Coulthard and Mr Parke died after nasogastric tubes were inserted into one of their lungs, rather than their stomach.

Dr Cunliffe and Dr Williams were asked by Matthew Holdcroft, counsel to the inquest, whether the trust had failed in a number of key areas.

Mr Holdcroft said: "You were asked to consider following the publication of the National Patient Safety Alert in 2011, before the death of Michael Parke, whether or not in your opinion any of the interested persons had failed to appoint an appropriate clinical lead in relation to it.

"You both agreed there were both failures on behalf of Christine Platton and Dr Walker. Is that correct?"

Dr Williams, who is medical director at Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "I think that the last part of the evidence was contained to roles of clinical leads and the issue about who was the accepted lead as well.

"I would say just very briefly that there were clearly misunderstandings and ambiguities."

Dr Williams said that the misunderstandings lay in that Dr Platton and Dr Walker had not spoken to one another.

He said: "In summary I feel that Mrs Platton and Mr Walker failed to appoint an appropriate medical lead."

Dr Cunliffe, secondary care clinician at Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group, said he concurred with Dr Williams.

The inquest continues.